State v. Holmstrom

168 N.W.2d 574, 43 Wis. 2d 465, 1969 Wisc. LEXIS 994
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 27, 1969
DocketState 129, 130, 131
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 168 N.W.2d 574 (State v. Holmstrom) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Holmstrom, 168 N.W.2d 574, 43 Wis. 2d 465, 1969 Wisc. LEXIS 994 (Wis. 1969).

Opinion

Hanley, J.

This appeal presents three questions:

(1) Was the jury array in Eau Claire county improperly constituted;

(2) Was there sufficient credible evidence to support the jury’s verdicts that the defendant was guilty of burglary and possession of burglarious tools; and

(3) Was the district attorney’s conduct improper?

*470 Jury Array.

Prior to the trial in this case, the defendant challenged the jury array in Eau Claire county on the ground that it did not represent a fair cross section of the entire community. The three jury commissioners and the clerk of the circuit court were called to testify. At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court stated that:

“. . . there is no showing there has been any discrimination as to race, age, politics, or occupation.”

The trial court instead complimented the jury commissioners for their devotion to duty.

“We have the testimony of these three Jury Commissioners and I am rather impressed with one thing in their background and understanding and this is addiction to the responsibilities of their job so that the people of Eau Claire County and others who may have matters to be tried before a jury are having it tried before a jury properly picked pursuant to statute . . .”

The defendant insists that the jury array included only a few persons under forty-five years of age, that the vast majority of jurors had good jobs, and that only persons who wanted to serve as jurors were picked for the array.

The jury commissioners testified that no categorization of potential jurors was made in regard to age, race, religion, politics, or ethnic background. The commissioners all testified as to how they came up with the names of prospective jurors.

The first commissioner, George W. Fuller, stated that in his daily activities he observed persons of lawful age and good moral character, who could read and write; and he recommended these people as jurors. By using the census figures, the proper number of jurors was picked from each ward of the city of Eau Claire and from each of the towns, villages and cities in the county. Mr. Fuller admitted that very few people between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five were on the jury panel. He *471 explained this by stating that jury service worked a financial hardship on young people with families and, in some cases, this factor was taken into consideration when recommendations concerning potential jurors were made.

Watford G. Sequin, Sr., testified that the commissioners made a point of picking jurors that represented a cross section of the industry in the community. He got the names of potential jurors from private conversations with his friends.

Victor Figlmiller testified that he relied on his own knowledge, as well as that of his friends and relatives, in picking people of good reputation as potential jurors. He did not pick names at random from any list.

The defendant contends that the system used by the jury commissioners in Eau Claire county practically eliminates the possibility of having poor people, young people or new members of the community on the jury. The defendant contends that only by categorizing persons regarding their sex, age, race, religion, politics, and occupation can a truly representative cross section of a community be picked.

In State v. Bond (1969), 41 Wis. 2d 219, 226, 163 N. W. 2d 601, the court pointed out that:

"... A defendant challenging the validity of the jury array has the burden of establishing a prima facie case of discrimination. . . .”

Once the defendant presents a prima facie case of discrimination, the burden shifts to the prosecution. Whitus v. Georgia (1967), 385 U. S 545, 550, 87 Sup. Ct. 643, 17 L. Ed. 2d 599.

The tests which are to be applied in this area are well discussed in United States v. Mirabal Carrion (D. C. Puerto Rico 1956), 140 Fed. Supp. 226, where the defendant challenged the jury array for, among other things, not representing a financial, social and educational cross section of the community.

*472 . . It is well settled that before a jury panel can be quashed on the ground that a cohesive group has been excluded, there must be a clear showing of an intentional and systematic exclusion of said group . . . [citations omitted]. The Supreme Court has made it abundantly clear in a number of cases involving mostly exclusion of racial and economic groups that disproportion in the ultimate composition of an indicting grand jury furnishes no basis whatsoever for an inference of exclusion . . . [citations omitted]. Moreover, it is essential if a defendant is to succeed in a jury challenge, that it be shown that the group which is claimed to have been excluded is a cohesive one whose exclusion would defeat the constitutional requirements of a representative jury. . . .” United States v. Mirabal Carrion, supra, at pages 229 and 230.

The “clear showing” or prima facie case which the defendant is required to present is discussed in Bailey v. Henslee (D. C. Ark. 1960), 184 Fed. Supp. 298, 302:

“. . . the discrimination alleged may be established by evidence showing disproportionate representation over such a period of time that the burden is shifted to the State to show that it is not the result of systematic limitation. . . .”

We conclude from the cases cited above that to succeed on a challenge to the jury array the defendant must show:

(1) A systematic exclusion;

(2) Of some representative unit of citizens.

A systematic exclusion can be shown by the direct testimony of the jury commissioners or by proving a disproportionate representation of a unit of citizens on the jury array over a period of time.

As far as defining what amounts to a cohesive unit of citizens, the United States Supreme Court has held that there should be no systematic exclusion of any

“. . . economic, social, religious, racial, political . . . [or] geographical groups of the community . . . Thiel v. Southern Pacific Co. (1946), 328 U. S. 217, 220, 66 Sup. Ct. 984, 90 L. Ed. 1181.

*473 In Ballard v. United States (1946), 329 U. S. 187, 67 Sup. Ct. 261, 91 L. Ed. 181, the majority also declared that it would be improper to systematically exclude women from the jury array.

We find no authority with reference to the systematic exclusion of young persons as prohibited discrimination. Nonetheless, we think systematic discrimination in regard to age would render the jury array just as defective as any other type of systematic discrimination.

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Bluebook (online)
168 N.W.2d 574, 43 Wis. 2d 465, 1969 Wisc. LEXIS 994, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-holmstrom-wis-1969.